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Pipe Razor?

Hello All,

I picked this up at the local flea market this morning for the princely sum of $10- It's stamped George Wostenholm & Sons Limited Sheffield, The Original & Only Pipe Razor and it bears the image of a clay churchwarden pipe.Does anyone have any information about this razor? Is it designed to clean pipes or to be used as a shaving razor?

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Any information would be greatly appreciated...

Best,
Dock "the newbie"
 
I've seen one on SRP before. I think they're reasonable shavers. Someone with more experience should be able to provide more info. I would think it would be nice to have. I like the look myself.
 
D.J.,

The Pipe razors, as you noted, were made by Geo. Wostenholm and enjoy a great reputation for having excellent blades. I think you made a fine purchase of a razor that should serve you very well.
 
Wostenholms are great shavers and the Pipe Razors are know to be some of their finest! Besides my Frederick Reynolds from Traveller, my Wostenholm is my best shaver.
 
Its nice to see one where the whole blade is there. I have several that shave well but the etching has run into the edge. I almost never see one that is so little used. If you want a sweet straight then that is the one for you.
 
All excellent information! Thanks guys!

How would one sharpen and clean this razor? Does anyone know approx. how old it is?

Best,
Dock
 
Quite a range for the company but the pies were more in the middle years
They have a nice sharp smooth edge when honed and polished, and that one is in great shape from the pic.....:smile::smile:

GEORGE WOSTENHOLM & SON
Successors to George Wostenholm in 1823 ("Old Sheffield Razors" by Lummus. Antiques, December 1922 p.261-267)
Rockingham Works ca. 1694 - 1847
Washington Works, Sheffield ca. 1847 - at least 1991
 
Cleaning and sharpening... well That one looks from the picture like it only needs some elbow grease with some metal polish not a resto. So I use English Custom Polish on all my metals but the people around the SRP way like MAAS because is works almost as well with some elbow grease and it is readily available. You can find it at places like walgreens and walmart.


DON'T CUT YOURSELF.

For honing (sharpening) you are going to need to send it to someone with some experience. I hone my own and those I sell but don't call myself a honemiester. There are a number of people who provide these services. I know Lynn does but there is no good way to contact him with Straight Razor Place down. I have seen around that Joel might. You might want to contact him. I don't know who else is a honemiester. Just don't try to hone it yourself please.
 
Hello All,

I picked this up at the local flea market this morning for the princely sum of $10- It's stamped George Wostenholm & Sons Limited Sheffield, The Original & Only Pipe Razor and it bears the image of a clay churchwarden pipe.Does anyone have any information about this razor? Is it designed to clean pipes or to be used as a shaving razor?

proxy.php



Any information would be greatly appreciated...

Best,
Dock "the newbie"

Geo. Wostenholm made all kinds of knives and pipe razors are excellent. For 10 bucks you did really well.

Oh, and it's for shaving with, not actually anything to do with pipes.
 
I have one that is not nearly as nice as yours. It's in my "keepers" collection. Took a really nice edge and very smooth shaver. For $10 you have an outstanding vintage shaver.
 
A big thanks for everyone's comments and answers....

The fella I purchased this from has several other straights and I plan on buying him out next weekend...

Now I've only gotta learn how to use one! That should'nt be hard? Right?:001_huh:

Best,
Dock
the newbie
 
Now I've only gotta learn how to use one! That should'nt be hard? Right?:001_huh:

If you haven't already seen the Interactive Guide, it's great reading and will answer a lot of questions. Here's a snippet from Section 1:

Why a straight razor?

Simple… it works, it works better than any other method/means of shaving ones face, it’s fun, it has a bit of danger attached to it, the razors can be incredibly gorgeous, there is a craftsman attached the creation of a razor, most other men & women are impressed by the notion that you shave with a straight razor, it’s a throw back to simpler times of yore, but for most, and why I personally use a straight razor – it’s the tremendous feeling of self accomplishment.

Taking a blade YOU put the edge on, and getting a buttery smooth shave is like tying your own fly-fishing flys, and catching a fish every time. Shaving with a straight razor isn’t easy, but on the same token, it really isn’t that particularly difficult, keep in mind every shaven man for centuries used a straight razor… surely it cannot be more difficult than what we are troubled with today – like driving cars, and figuring out Microsoft Windows Vista!

At least for me, shaving with a straight razor is a wonderfully calming experience, where I can turn everything in life off, stop and focus my mind and body to accomplish something most men cannot do, something that gives me a feeling of pride throughout the day – whenever I touch my face and it’s smooth as glass.
 
i bought a pipe razor a few months ago that was in good shape with the sole purpose of restoration and selling. upon completion of the restoration i honed it up and gave it the normal test shaves to make sure it was velvety smooth.

it ended up taking such a great edge that i decided to keep the razor and not sell it. instead it entered into my top 5 shaving razor rotation that i use. thats saying something, when you buy a razor only to restore and sell and then end up keeping it becuase it shaves so amazingly.

in my book, they are great razors that don't get enough attention.

~J
 
I paid $80 for mine off a reputable E bay seller and there were plenty bidding for it.

It's a top quality English (sheffield highy carbon steel). It's actually quite easy to hone when you know what you are doing but if you don't take the advice already given and don't practice on that one until you know what you are doing. Nowdays, razors of that quality are getting harder to find and you will have to pay lots of money for a modern equivalent. Enjoy.
 
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